Agape Communities

Jesus encounters a man at the pool of Bethesda. The story goes that once a year at the pool the water is stirred and the first person in is healed of fill in the blank ailment. This man is crippled.  He’s been sitting at the side of the pool for many years.  Jesus asks him, what initially seems to be an absurd question. “Do you want to get well?” The guy has been there for years, waiting to be the first in. “Umm, maybe you don’t know the scene, Jesus.” The truth is that Jesus knew completely.  It’s the gap between perception of the eyes and the truth of the heart. 

Some people spend their entire lives running from questions…from friction.  Why are you so angry?  What do you feel like you’re losing in forgiving? Why do you continue to enable people to abuse you(physically, emotionally, spiritually)?  What are you afraid of…really?  Why do you believe, God believes that about you? 

We can spend so much time talking about things that may not be the things that really matter. The things that give life to us and others. The things that give freedom to us and others. It’s been my experience that real life happens in the friction and the “life after walking through the friction” moments. If you’ve been through it…you know. 

Maybe you find yourself right there…right now.

Maybe you found yourself there recently…a year ago…a month ago…2 years ago…and you know. Maybe you’ve been angry or bitter or whatever for a long time…maybe you can’t remember the last time that you experienced a season of life…a literal season…of…life…of love. But maybe, deep down, the thought that “I don’t have to live like this” has not died. The flame’s still alive.

[Excerpt from Blessed Friction by Brad Hill. Also available at Amazon]